Small South African town is days away from ‘Day Zero’

Winburg, a small mixed-farming town in the Free State, is heading towards a serious water crisis as ‘Day Zero’ approaches.

This is feedback from Masilonyana Municipality councillor, Brunhilde Rossouw, who said that repeated warnings have been ignored.

The Wolwas Dam, which was constructed as a backup water source for Winburg during periods of water shortages, is currently empty.

The dam is situated in a non-catchment area and therefore relies on water being pumped from the river into it.

Once the river stops flowing, pumping water into the dam will no longer be possible, leaving Winburg and Makeleketla without this vital backup supply.

The river has now stopped flowing, which means that its main backup water source has disappeared.

“This situation is concerning, given the ongoing drought conditions and previous warnings regarding the potential impact of El Niño conditions,” she said.

“Failure to act now could result in a catastrophe of immense proportions for the community.”

She said that there have been repeated calls for assistance. However, residents have been blamed for vandalising the pump.

The municipality has indicated that no procurement process is in place to repair it, leaving the town’s residents in danger of severe water problems.

“A proposed solution to prevent further vandalism was submitted, but it appears to have been ignored,” she said.

The situation has now become even more serious as the Wolwas Dam is empty, and the Rietfontein Dam is contaminated by raw sewage flowing into it.

“The sewer project is reportedly at a standstill, and the river is no longer flowing, which means the backup water supply is severely compromised,” she said.

“Taken together, these circumstances indicate that Winburg and Makeleketla could face a Day Zero water crisis within days if urgent intervention does not occur.”

She said that the community has already experienced a situation where residents were without water for more than a month.

She called on the municipality to address the failure of the Wolwas Dam backup system and repair the pump infrastructure.

They should also implement measures to prevent further vandalism of critical water infrastructure and address the contamination of Rietfontein Dam by raw sewage.

“Winburg and Makeleketla cannot be allowed to reach Day Zero before authorities respond,” she said.

“Serious and immediate intervention is needed to protect the community and prevent a humanitarian water crisis.”